<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/ukraine" rel="" target="" title="Ukraine"><span>Ukraine</span></a><span>'s president and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/europe" rel="" target="" title="European"><span>European</span></a><span> leaders on Tuesday accused Russian President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/vladimir-putin" rel="" target="" title="Vladimir Putin"><span>Vladimir Putin</span></a><span> of stalling for time in diplomatic efforts to bring his </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/russia-ukraine" rel="" target="" title="invasion of Ukraine"><span>invasion of Ukraine</span></a><span> to an end and opposed any move to make Kyiv surrender land captured by Russian forces in return for peace, as US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> has on occasion suggested.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Eight European leaders as well as senior European Union officials said in a joint statement they intend to go ahead with plans to use Moscow's billions of dollars (euros) of frozen assets abroad to help Kyiv win the war, despite some misgivings about the legality and consequences of such a step.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The statement expressed support for Trump's peace efforts in Ukraine as he prepares to meet with Putin in Budapest, Hungary in coming weeks.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-venezuela-conflict-why-is-donald-trump-ramping-up-tensions-with-south-american-country/1af547b5-e27b-4164-a348-ecfa8c901f7c" rel="" target="" title="US forces are massing around Venezuela. What's Trump's next move?"><strong><span>US forces are massing around Venezuela. What's Trump's next move?</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>No date has been set for the Budapest summit, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated on Tuesday there was no sense of urgency. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Preparation is needed, serious preparation," he told reporters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Putin returned to diplomacy, calling Trump last week after the American president said he might supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-update-ukraine-eu-leaders-accuse-vladimir-putin-of-stalling-reject-land-concessions-for-peace/104d4506-b587-4b98-8efb-7a37adfc21e0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But "as soon as the pressure eased a little, the Russians began to try to drop diplomacy, postpone the dialogue," Zelenskyy said on Tuesday in a Telegram post.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need to end this war, and only pressure will lead to peace," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The leaders' statement laid down a marker by saying the leaders "remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump last month reversed his long-held position that Ukraine would have to concede land and suggested it could win back all the territory it has lost to Russia. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, after a phone call with Putin last week and a subsequent meeting with Zelenskyy on Friday, Trump shifted his position again and called on Kyiv and Moscow to "stop where they are" in the more than three-year war.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Sunday, Trump said that the industrial Donbas region of eastern Ukraine should be "cut up," leaving most of it in Russian hands.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump said on Monday that while he thinks it is possible that Ukraine can ultimately defeat Russia, he's now doubtful it will happen.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ukrainian and European leaders are trying hard to keep Trump on their side.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We strongly support President Trump's position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations," the statement said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The dynamics of Trump's engagement with Europe's biggest conflict since World War II have zig-zagged as he searches for a peace deal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russia occupies about one fifth of Ukraine, but carving up their country in return for peace is unacceptable to Kyiv officials.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Also, a conflict frozen on the current front line could fester, with occupied areas of Ukraine offering Moscow a springboard for new attacks in the future, Ukrainian and European officials fear.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The statement by the leaders of Ukraine, the UK, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Denmark and EU officials came early in what Zelenskyy said on Monday would be a week that is "very active in diplomacy".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More international economic sanctions on Russia are likely to be discussed at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We must ramp up the pressure on Russia's economy and its defense industry, until Putin is ready to make peace," Tuesday's statement said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Friday, a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing — a group of 35 countries who support Ukraine — is due to take place in London.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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